1878-S VAM-60 Long Nock Long Center Arrow Feather, S Set High & Left

Discovered by Michael Fey, April 1998.

This coin is a Top 100 Morgan VAM, This coin is a Top 30 1878-S Variety.

60(revised) II 23 · B1f (Long Center Arrow Feather, S Set High & Left) (186) I-5 R-7Reverse B1f– Small III S mint mark set high and to left, but further left than VAM 56. Diemarkers of diagonal polishing lines on lower part of tail feathers next to eagle’s right leg.

Comments:1- Obverse is shared with Vams 26 and 57.2- VAM-60 is rare in any grade, and demand for this variety is extremely high with only a few examples known,no wonder it commands a heavy premium,as collectors scramble to find the next specimen, it may be years before they get lucky!3- Long Nocks include VAM-26, VAM-27, VAM-56, VAM-57, VAM-58, VAM-59, VAM-60, VAM-62 and VAM-72.

LVA Plate Photo:Additional photos:
1878-S Long Nock Reverse. A small quantity of 1878 coin minted in San Francisco used a B1 reverse die. This B1 reverse can be detected by looking for a long center nock on the arrow shaft (see arrow below). These dies appear to have been used for the first coins that left the mint and any 1878-S coin with a B1 reverse is a rarity. Most of these coins are well circulated with even XF coins being exceedingly rare.

The eye spikes are useful in identifying long nock VAMs. This eye spike pattern is shared by 1878-S VAM-26 and 1878-S VAM-57.

The Mint Mark is set high and left, it is what distinguishes this VAM from 1878-S VAM-26 and 1878-S VAM-57.Upper serif of the mintmark is nearly under the center of the bow knot and much closer to the ribbons above it than the letters below. A side by side comparison with the mintmark positions of the other two VAMs that share this obverse, 26 and 57, will clearly illustrate the difference.

There is extra metal above the feathers, much like VAM-72

On examples that are preserved well enough to show any detail around the eagle's claws, traces of this diagonal scratch above the inner talon will serve to confirm an attribution of this rare variety.